Like Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital are championed by IDLES and sing in an unfiltered, impassioned Dublin accent. Sure, Don’t Cling To Life and More Is Less prove they too can do excellent scabrous punk, but there’s a roaming spirit here which suggests The Murder Capital may soon become something very special indeed.
Gabriel Paschal Blake’s dark basslines bring a Joy Division depth to Green & Blue and the sonorous Slowdance is how The Sisters Of Mercy should sound in 2019. Post-punk, scalpel-sharp guitars worthy of Gang Of Four cut through Feeling Fades and best of all, On Twisted Ground is quietly heartbreaking, a Donna Tartt novel in four minutes.
Where they go next will be fascinating. As it stands, their audacious debut album illustrates The Murder Capital are already a killer.
8/10
John Earls